Shop assistants in modern Ireland - Discuss.

bikini · 26-04-2007 10:54PM

In my experiance of working in a shop i found no point of being rude back to customers. For thoses who seem to be wearing a scowl it is better to smile and keep quiet as they are searching for something to give out about. The best way to deal with a complete moran is to be so so so nice, it f***ing kills them! What they really want is you to snap so they can shift their misery on some poor unfortunate trying to earn a bit of dosh!

beanyb · 26-04-2007 10:58PM

The problem I have isnt that they speak a different language to their friends, though it does make you feel slightly more uncomfortable than it would if you could understand them. It's the fact that they carry out a full blown conversation when they are supposed to be serving a customer. It's just plain rude, even in English.

Having said that, I worked in a supermarket for a few years part time and the majority of customers do treat staff like crap. It gets increasingly difficult to be friendly when you're consistently being treated like you're the dirt on their shoe.

26-04-2007 11:01PM

It's the fact that they carry out a full blown conversation when they are supposed to be serving a customer. It's just plain rude, even in English.

That's not just foreign workers though. Back home in the North, and often down here as well, the locals are the worst at doing that. Really annoys me!

the_syco · 26-04-2007 11:02PM

Deleted User wrote:

The one thing I dislike though is when they talk to one another in their native language. It's totally disrespectful. And I'm not referring to any one group, its all non-nationals.

Like you'd do when you're on holidays in a foreign country? FFS. Piss off back to Meath:p

Me? Don't really get treated badly. If I am, I don't go back, or if its a regular shop, I avoid that cashier. I've been a shelf stacker, and know that bas*ards are on both sides of the till.

On a bad day in the cinema, I prefered the scumbags. At least we knew they'd try something dodgy. You'd still catch the "middle class" f*cks up to no good. And I'd throw all of them out.

Oh, and as for the story about the selection boxes at xmas eve: half the time that I've asked for them to check the back, there has been some there.

Thrill · 26-04-2007 11:07PM

Mordeth wrote:

also, I used to work in retail.. customers are bastards. all of them, even the nice ones. Bastards.

Having worked behind a counter, I whole heartedly agree. Although i don't
know about the nice one's. I've never seen one of those.

brianthebard · 26-04-2007 11:42PM

Astrid Worried Radial wrote:

It's natural to do that, and Irish and British people are some of the worst offenders at doing it abroad. I've worked in France and Spain and almost all the Irish and Brits used to speak English to each other 100% of the time. I at least tried not to do it in front of customers but other people saw nothing wrong with it, thinking if they weren't talking about anyone or being rude, then where was the problem? Don't act like the Polish or whoever are the only ones to do this, it happens all over. Have you ever been in that situation? It feels REALLY strange to stand there speaking Spanish to your Irish mates. You try to do it out of courtesy to others but it's really unnatural.

Story about a friend of mine who's lithuanian. We were working in the store room with a polish lad and the two were conversing in polish. I thought nothing of it, but in walked the manager and her cousin who worked there. The manager gave out to my friend cause she couldn't understand him and said he might be insulting her or something. To which he replied " If I wanted to say something to you xxxx, I'd say it to your face!". What a great man.

WindSock · 27-04-2007 12:09AM

I worked in various retail outlets myself in the past, the job wouldn't be all that bad if it weren't for the feckin customers.
Now I am one of those customers, standing in the queue and mentally condemning the assistant for not hurrying the fuçk up, but it's mostly the person in front of me getting served that all my mind arrows pierce.
But I usually keep it in my head, I will be polite when I reach the counter, only showing faint signs of impatience if I am in a hurry.

InFront · 27-04-2007 01:07AM

In fairness, it's a completely unnatural thing to speak in English with someone who speaks your first language. The only time I can recall where it was unacceptable was an example I only heard about, in a hospital between two med students, which upset the patient as you can imagine.

But as for getting annoyed with a shop assistant over it... why? It's just paranoia or over sensitivity. Number one it's none of your business what they're discussing, number two it's probably just a story about getting locked out of the house! I've seen people get annoyed about this sort of thing on public transport too, it's a bit over the top.

As regards customer service, I worked in an electrical store for two summers and some weekends, I would definitely agree with deflating customers' egos with kindness. Nothing is more humbling than guilt.

Kintarō Hattori · 27-04-2007 02:17AM

Get off your flucking high horses you pack of whinging c'nuts. Are you that shallow, self obsessed and paranoid that you need to hear two people speaking to each other in a language that you understand? They are speaking to each other and not to you. As long as your being served and served well I don't see what the problem is. Let them have their conversation. It just might not be about you!

I have no problem with people speaking to each other in a foreign language while they are serving me. As long as I get what I need and they are pleasant about it, I don't give two flying f'nucks. Why should you? Really, why does it bother you?

As long as they aren't rude or unpleasant it really shouldn't matter.

BlitzKrieg · 27-04-2007 02:51AM

thinking back today to all the shops i was in just today...the only one that was even slightly miffed with was the assitent in maplins who simply didnt give good directions to a product i was looking for (he gestured to one end of the store and left), every other shop I have been into today I've recieved the customer service I expect, and in one case more.

On the topic of people speaking a different language when at work, as long as its not when they are serving you and they can do their job I dont have any complaint, and I have no right to complain as me and another irish worker did it in starbucks in the UK with very basic irish, and a platheau of irish swearwords (thank you gary bannister for the irish swear word dictionay) when we were having a bad morning. Never directed at the customer, except in 2-3 really really bad cases.

Honestly your scraping the bottom of the barrel when your problem is shop assistents.

27-04-2007 03:56AM

if I'm dealing with an annoying awkward customer who doesnt respect me I don't treat them with respect-why would I?

Because it's your job.

NotMe · 27-04-2007 04:59AM

eo980 wrote:

Get off your flucking high horses you pack of whinging c'nuts. Are you that shallow, self obsessed and paranoid that you need to hear two people speaking to each other in a language that you understand? They are speaking to each other and not to you. As long as your being served and served well I don't see what the problem is. Let them have their conversation. It just might not be about you!

I have no problem with people speaking to each other in a foreign language while they are serving me. As long as I get what I need and they are pleasant about it, I don't give two flying f'nucks. Why should you? Really, why does it bother you?

As long as they aren't rude or unpleasant it really shouldn't matter.

My thoughts exactly.

giddyup · 27-04-2007 11:38AM

eo980 wrote:

As long as they aren't rude or unpleasant it really shouldn't matter.

Taking it right back to the original post this is what I was trying to highlight. In chatting away among themselves they generally are being rude and unpleasant and providing the very minimum level of service possible. I'd feel the same way if they were talking English. At the moment in Ireland it's usually an e. european language.

I've worked in Superquinn (£1.40 an hour;) ), Texaco, Centra and 2 Spars in my time albeit a few years ago now and my philosophy remains (on both sides of the counter) do unto others etc. etc. So I'll always start an encounter trying to be pleasant but if it's anything less than a neutral response I'm sometimes not bothered, often despairing and on occasion angry.

Case in point: in Next 2 weeks ago, about 5 punters working but when I had a few bits to buy (and after standing at the till for a few minutes) they all seemed to be faffing about "in the back" so I went to the till in the home section where manager type (the only person on the shop floor) was on the phone. She rolls her eyes as I approach, doesn't hang up and tells me someone in mens will help me. I tell her there is nobody there. She then proceeds to give me the 'you are clearly insane' look and tells me that of course there is someone there. I'm starting to see the red mist now. I tell her again there is nobody there and she huffs and puffs and walks around to see that there is indeed nobody there. Instead of then serving me she starts wondering about where they are and looking around and telling me they should be there etc. She still has no intention of serving me so I chucked the clothes on the nearest shelf and told her 'good luck'. I'm not trying to change her behaviour by doing this, it's just for my own sanity and I can't bear to hand money over to people who treat me like a muppet.

Bottom line - it'd be nice if people were a bit more pleasant to each other in their daily encounters.

Antigone05 · 27-04-2007 12:00PM

i work and run a small shop which generaly sell school books.
So when that time of year comes and the que of 2000 people a day come you have to keep a level head.
I like dealing with customers..as alot are assholes and alot are nice i treat each the same with the same level of help.

ive been called a bastard..a lying so-in-so and so forth..a bookshop remember.

If you feel mistreated and that all customers look down on you then you better change job.

its the people behind tills that grow to develop itchy trigger fingers.

brianthebard · 27-04-2007 12:30PM

Deleted User wrote:

Because it's your job.

Its fucking not.

27-04-2007 12:43PM

You're paid to be courteous and provide the service, regardless of how they behave. Obviously aside from them going proper mental and freaking out.

brianthebard · 27-04-2007 12:46PM

Deleted User wrote:

You're paid to be courteous and provide the service, regardless of how they behave. Obviously aside from them going proper mental and freaking out.

The quote you used said that I don't respect customers who don't respect me. Nowhere in my contract has it ever said that I have to respect customers. I know what I'm paid for and what I'm not, and I'm not paid to take shit from customers.

Kintarō Hattori · 27-04-2007 12:52PM

giddyup wrote:

Taking it right back to the original post this is what I was trying to highlight. In chatting away among themselves they generally are being rude and unpleasant and providing the very minimum level of service possible. I'd feel the same way if they were talking English. At the moment in Ireland it's usually an e. european language.

Case in point: in Next 2 weeks ago, about 5 punters working but when I had a few bits to buy (and after standing at the till for a few minutes) they all seemed to be faffing about "in the back" so I went to the till in the home section where manager type (the only person on the shop floor) was on the phone. She rolls her eyes as I approach, doesn't hang up and tells me someone in mens will help me. I tell her there is nobody there. She then proceeds to give me the 'you are clearly insane' look and tells me that of course there is someone there. I'm starting to see the red mist now. I tell her again there is nobody there and she huffs and puffs and walks around to see that there is indeed nobody there. Instead of then serving me she starts wondering about where they are and looking around and telling me they should be there etc. She still has no intention of serving me so I chucked the clothes on the nearest shelf and told her 'good luck'. I'm not trying to change her behaviour by doing this, it's just for my own sanity and I can't bear to hand money over to people who treat me like a muppet.

Your first point has absolutely no connection to your second. Two people talking to each other has no relation to the clearly poor service you received with the woman in Next.
I would be quite píssed if I had been you, but if it merely had been two assistants talking among themselves while serving me I would see no reason to complain.

WindSock · 27-04-2007 02:24PM

I dont like to be served by a couple of shop assistants that are chatting to each other at the same time, whether they are speaking in English or any other language, or even on the phone to a mate, it's rude and unprofessional. The same went when I was working behind the counter. I wouldnt serve someone if they were chatting away on their mobile phone, I'd wait till they hung up.

themole · 27-04-2007 02:27PM

I personally have no problem with people talking in their native language while at work.

If you are waiting to be served at a counter and two of the assistants are talking to eachother it depends on what they are talking about as to whether or not i get annoyed. If its work related, and one say is asking the other to get some stock etc , then thats ok to me, as you know why you are waiting. They are doing their job. But if they are talking about non work related stuff and as a result i have to wait thats annoying and i think other people find it annoying also.

The problem is if, i ireland, they are not talking English you don't know what they are talking about hence you can't make that call and i for one get annoyed by that.

FatherTed · 27-04-2007 03:18PM

Having lived in the US for a few years I must have that staff in shops whenever I go back to Ireland are much less courtious that in the US. e.g. the grocery store where we usually go to has a sign on the way in. It reads:

Rule 1: The customer is always right
Rule 2: If the customer is ever wrong, reread rule 1.

MikeHoncho · 27-04-2007 03:40PM

Im in love with the Polish girl who works in my local petrol station. I even buy my dinner their sometimes even though it is stupidly overpriced just so I can have my 30 seconds with her. Yes I am that pathetic.

Faerie · 27-04-2007 03:42PM

FatherTed wrote:

Having lived in the US for a few years I must have that staff in shops whenever I go back to Ireland are much less courtious that in the US. e.g. the grocery store where we usually go to has a sign on the way in. It reads:

Rule 1: The customer is always right
Rule 2: If the customer is ever wrong, reread rule 1.

That's absoutely RIDICULOUS!
First of all the customer is wrong 99% of the time. e.g. They see an offer advertising pizzas half price so they bring up garlic bread and go mad when that's not half price - "well it was in the same fridge". Then when they realise they are wrong they scream at me. Customers take note: it has nothing to do with us, the checkout staff. Don't shout at me, try acting like a civilised person and if you're really pissed off about missing out on that 30cent offer, take it up with the management in a civilised manner.
Anyway the whole concept behind that phrase is stupid. It's basically implying that the shop should be grateful for your custom - this is ridiculous! The shop is providing the customer with a service/product and the shop is making a profit in return. It's mutual benefit.
Also, the staff are people too, with just as valid opinions, and we're no better or worse than you. So we have just as much right to be 'in the right'. I think customers and staff should treat each other with equal respect and all these customers who want us to be bending over backwards in an over-the-top and obsequious manner obviously have their own self-esteem issues.

27-04-2007 04:15PM

the_syco wrote:

Like you'd do when you're on holidays in a foreign country? FFS. Piss off back to Meath:p

Meath? I've no idea where you got that from.

Anyways, if I'm in a foreign country, I try to pick up a few words so that I can converse with the locals.

thinking back today to all the shops i was in just today...the only one that was even slightly miffed with was the assitent in maplins who simply didnt give good directions to a product i was looking for (he gestured to one end of the store and left), every other shop I have been into today I've recieved the customer service I expect, and in one case more.

See, thats one thing I hate too. If I'm in work and I see a customer is carrying too much, I will help them carry it if I'm not too busy with another customer. When they are lost, not only will I point them in the right direction but hold the doors for them too. It's when you go that bit more that helps the most.

Nala · 27-04-2007 04:23PM

brianthebard wrote:

The quote you used said that I don't respect customers who don't respect me. Nowhere in my contract has it ever said that I have to respect customers. I know what I'm paid for and what I'm not, and I'm not paid to take shit from customers.

Exactly. I work in a supermarket. It is my job to scan your items (at a checkout) or help you if u dont know how to scan your own (self scanners). It is also my job to answer questions such as, where would I find x, and refer you to the right person if i dont know.

It is NOT my job to deal with your bad moods. I am not a psychologist.
It is NOT my job to stand there and be spoken to like I'm 2 feet tall, and to answer to a whistle. I am not a dog.
It is NOT my job to love you unconditionally no matter how much of an idiot you are. I am not your mother.

27-04-2007 04:38PM

But it is your job to settle it in a courteous manner.

27-04-2007 04:42PM

Deleted User wrote:

But it is your job to settle it in a courteous manner.

It's hard to be courteous when the customer is being an asshole though.

cance · 27-04-2007 04:45PM

Faerie wrote:

Anyway the whole concept behind that phrase is stupid. It's basically implying that the shop should be grateful for your custom - this is ridiculous! The shop is providing the customer with a service/product and the shop is making a profit in return. It's mutual benefit.

you provide products on mark up, the customer chooses what shop to purchase these from. Pissy irish staff are exactly what is wrong with this process, you dont give a fúck about the customer or value your job half as much as you should.

Americans complain like crazy, we dont, the irish customer just gets on with it then moans to their friends. If it takes a swing to the way they do it I'd imagine your attitude will have you out on the streets arse first before you notice the kick in the hole you received.

Nala wrote:

It is NOT my job to deal with your bad moods. I am not a psychologist.
It is NOT my job to stand there and be spoken to like I'm 2 feet tall, and to answer to a whistle. I am not a dog.
It is NOT my job to love you unconditionally no matter how much of an idiot you are. I am not your mother.

you'd better get used to it, somebody will always try to shíte on you in any job you have. You just need to grit your teeth and get on with it.

27-04-2007 04:47PM

cance wrote:

you provide products on mark up, the customer chooses what shop to purchase these from. Pissy irish staff are exactly what is wrong with this process, you dont give a fúck about the customer or value your job half as much as you should.

That is a complete generalisation.

It's funny how most of the people argueing are those who have never worked in the retail industry, and those who are defending themselves have usually worked in a dunnes or supervalu.

herbieflowers · 27-04-2007 04:50PM

You tell 'em Danny!

Shop assistants in modern Ireland - Discuss.

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